New Approaches to Label Cluster Management Excellence according to European Standard. Gold- and Bronze-Labelling

1. Labelling cluster organisations –
what is this all about?
Gerd Meier zu Köcker, Thomas Lämmer-Gamp,
ESCA – European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis
Stockholm, November 13th, 2013,

2. Framework conditions
(e.g. infrastructure, regulation, work force, level of
education, image, macro economy)
Cluster participants
(business, research, public agencies)
Cluster management organization
Utilizing clusters as tool for economic or industrial development
means developing industrial networks and value chains by
means of cluster management!

3. Why Cluster Management Organisations ?
• Professional and excellent cluster organisations can
make to difference
• Funding of cluster management organisations is the
prevailing support scheme in Europe

4. Source: Lämmer-Gamp, Meier zu Köcker, Christensen, Clusters are Individuals, 2011
Quality and Intensity of Business Services Provided by the
Cluster Managements Make the Difference

5. • Monetary added-value for SMEs in clusters
All actors
Higher Intensity of Involvement Leads to
Higher Monetary Added-values
Actors that cooperate more
intensive than others
Cluster Monitor Germany, July 2012, 50 Cluster representing about 5000 company
low similar high
low similar high

6. • Case study: Monetary added-value for SMEs in an Automotive cluster
EUR / p. a.
Very active
Quite active
inactive
Higher Intensity of Involvement Leads to
Higher Monetary Added-values

7. Priority Setting for Business Services
Relevance of expectations
low moderate high
Very high
High
Moderate
Low
Very low
Levelofsatisfaction

8. Developing and Implementing Cluster Strategies is a Good Base
for Sustainability

9. Labelling and Benchmarking as Voluntary
Tool for Continuous Improvements
of Cluster Managements

10. Everything Started with Benchmarking in 2009
– Benchmarking is a voluntary approach for comparing and peer-assessment
– Benchmarking stimulates mutual learning and striving for excellence
– Benchmarking reveals where a given cluster stands compared to other
peers
– Benchmarking does not provide any ranking or good / bad
– Benchmarking provides a documented entry level into improvement
processes for cluster management
– Benchmarking is very practical like and provides practial advice how to do
bettered

12. Interested in improvement: Benchmarking
Demonstrating improvement: 2nd Benchmarking
Confirmation of excellence: Quality audit

13. Who is ESCA
• Independent department within VDI/VDE-IT
• Coordinating body for all cluster labelling activities under ECEI
scheme within Europe
• Entrusted by ECEI-consortium and EC
• ESCA involves international pool of benchmarking and labelling
experts
• Decisions for Silver- and Gold-Label done by international
expert group (no decision making by ESCA)
• Close cooperation with cluster policy makers within Europe to assure
international recognition

14. Interested in improvement: Benchmarking

15. The Benchmarking Process
© VDI/VDE-IT 25.04.2014
Step 1: Benchmarking Interview
Step 2: Benchmarking Report
Step 0: Planning and Initialisation

16. Analysed until today:
489 cluster organisations
from 34 countries
2-3h interview with cluster manager, 40 questions
on structure, staffing, services, strategy and results

17. Cluster A
Research Driven vs. Industrial Driven Clusters

18. Growth Rate vs. Regional Membership Potential

19. Service Spectrum to Initiate Collaborative Technology
Development among Cluster Actors

20. Effects of the cluster
management organization
on the cluster: innovation
activities
Services of the
cluster management
organization
How Services Affect Innovation Activities – Promote
Collaboration within the Cluster

21. Conformity
with European
Excellence
Critria

22. Confirmation of Excellence: Quality audit

24. Benchmarking (Bronze) and Excellence Labelling (Gold)
Similarities and Differences
© VDI/VDE-IT 25.04.2014
Cluster-Benchmarking Labelling Cluster
Management Excellence
- Self-Assessment - Third party expert assessement
- No documented evidence required - Documented evidence required
- Intended as a tool for continuous - Intended to confirm excellence
improvements
- Comparing with peers - Absolute quality criteria regarded
- Majority of indicators dealing with - All indicators related to excellence
excellence, but not all
-

27. The Process

28. Structure of the
cluster
Governance
Financing of the
cluster
management
organization
Strategy and
services
Achievements
and recognition
31 indicators
in five areas

31. Indicators of the ECEI Cluster Management Excellence Label Assessment Weighting Score
Structure of the Cluster
1.1.0 mininum requirement Committed Cluster Participation 1,5 1
1.1.1 mininum requirement Composition of the Cluster Participants 1,5 1
1.1.2 mininum requirement Number of Committed Cluster Participants in Total 0,5 1
1.2 Geographical Concentration of the Cluster Participants 0,5 1
Typology, Governance, Cooperation
2.1 mininum requirement Maturity of the Cluster Management 0,5 1
2.2.1 Human Resources Available for the Cluster Management 1 1
2.2.2 mininum requirement Qualification of the Cluster Management Team 1 1
2.2.3 Life Long Learning Aspects for the Cluster Management Team 0,5 1
2.2.4 Stability and Continuity of Human Resources of the Cluster Management Team 1 1
2.3 Stability of Cluster Participation 1 1
2.4 mininum requirement Clarity of Roles – Involvement of Stakeholders in the Decision Making Processes 1 1
2.5 mininum requirement Direct Personal Contacts Between the Cluster Management Team and the Cluster Participants 1 1
2.6 mininum requirement Degree of Cooperation within the Cluster 1,5 1
2.7 mininum requirement Integration of the Cluster Organisation in the Innovation System 0,5 1
Financing Cluster Management
3.1 Prospects of the Financial Resources of the Cluster Organisation 1,5 1
3.2 Share of Financial Resources from Private Sources 1 1
Strategy, Objectives, Services
4.1.1 mininum requirement Strategy Building Process 1,5 1
4.1.2 mininum requirement Documentation of the Cluster Strategy 1 1
4.1.3 mininum requirement Implementation Plan 1,5 1
4.1.4 mininum requirement Financial Controlling System 1 1
4.1.5 mininum requirement Review of the Cluster Strategy and Implementation Plan 0,5 1
4.1.6 mininum requirement Performance Monitoring of Cluster Management 1 1
4.2 Focus of the Cluster Strategy 1
4.3 mininum requirement Activities and Services of the Cluster Management 1,5 1
4.4 mininum requirement Performance of the Cluster Management 1,5 1
4.5 Working Groups 0,5 1
4.6.1 Communication of the Cluster Organisation 1 1
4.6.2 mininum requirement Cluster Organisation’s Web Presence 0,5 1
Achievements and Recognition
5.1 Recognition of the Cluster in Publications, Press, Media 0,5 1
5.2 Success Stories 0,5 1
5.3 Customer and Cluster Participants’ Satisfaction Assessment 1 1

33. Future Position X
Kunststoffinstitut Lüdenscheid
microTEC
Südwest
VDC Fellbach
Chemie Cluster Bayern
Photonics BW
Offshoreenergy.dk
Innovationnetwork Lifestyle
– Interior & Clothing
NODE - Norwegian Offshore &
Drilling Engineering
Minalogic
Systematic - Paris Region
Systems & ICT Cluster
Eco World Styria
Kunststoff Cluster
Silicon Saxony
FEMAC - Agricultural
Machinery Cluster
Software Cluster
Pôle de compétitivité SCS
Biopeople
Pôle de compétitivité Plasturgie
CEAGA
NCE Raufoss
NCE Subsea

34. German Cluster Management Excellence Landscape

35. 46%
23%
23%
8%
58%
8%
23%
22%
33%
15%
11%
11%
56%
25%
11%
38%
46%
56%
62%
46%
46%
8%
23%
23%
17%
31%
33%
33%
23%
31%
22%
56%
44%
8%
22%
46%
54%
11%
38%
8%
31%
92%
54%
69%
25%
92%
100%
46%
67%
78%
33%
77%
69%
85%
89%
67%
44%
67%
67%
15%
33%
0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9 1
STRUCTURE OF THE CLUSTER
Committed cluster participation
Composition of the cluster participants
Number of committed cluster participants in total
Geographical concentration of the cluster participants
TYPOLOGY, GOVERNANCE, COOPERATION
Maturity of the cluster management
Human resources available for cluster management
Lifelong learning aspects for the cluster management team
Stability and continuity of human resources of the cluster…
Stability of cluster participation
Clarity of roles – involvement of stakeholders in decision…
Direct personal contacts between the cluster…
Degree of cooperation within the cluster participants
Integration of the cluster organisation in the innovation…
FINANCING
Share of financial resources from private sources
STRATEGY, OBJECTIVES, SERVICES
Documentation of the cluster strategy
Review of the cluster strategy and implementation plan
Degree of fulfilment of the implementation plan
Financial controlling system
Activities and services of the cluster management
Working groups
Cluster organisation’s web presence
ACHIEVEMENTS, RECOGNITION
Recognition of the cluster in publications, press, media
Success stories
Cluster participants’ satisfaction surveys
Another Cluster Management Excellence Landscape

36. Demonstrating improvement: 2nd Benchmarking
- Filling the gap between the existing labels BRONZE and GOLD
- Confirms improvements and conformity with some major Excellence Criteria
- Fulfilling wishes of policy makers and cluster managers in several
countries

37. Cluster Management Excellence Label SILVER
Dedicated to Cluster Excellence
• Rationale of the label:
– In line with the achievements of the European Cluster Excellence Initiative (ECEI)
– Confirming a continuous and successful process of improving cluster
management
– Combination of benchmarking (Bronze) and third party assessment (Gold)
– Final approval made by representatives of the „Cluster Excellence Expert Group“,
an international working group consisting of excellent cluster managers (Goldies)
• Eligibility for the label / process:
– Cluster conducts re-benchmarking exercise
– Application for a SILVER label is only possible upon recommendation by ESCA
– ESCA gives such a recommendation, if significant improvements in cluster
management over the past years could be observed, based on benchmarking
data received
© VDI/VDE-IT 25.04.2014

38. If you want to learn
more…

40. VDI/VDE Innovation und Technik GmbH
Gerd Meier zu Köcker
European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis (ESCA)
Steinplatz 1
D-10623 Berlin
Tel.: +49 30 310078 118
Fax: +49 30 310078 222
E-mail: mzk@vdivde-it.de
www.cluster-analysis.org
www.vdivde-it.de